Science Only Deals in Absolutes
by Asher Elric
Summary: Edward Elric gets thrown into another universe. Now he has to deal with a bratty kid, giant robots bent on destroying the universe, and the fact that some absolutes aren't as apparent as he wants them to be. Seqel to 'Alchemical Lane'
1. Pulled through the Gate Prologue

**Science only deals in Absolutes**

**Fandom's - Fullmetal Alchemist/Transformer's.**

**Pairing - none**

**Rating - PG13**

**Warnings - Ed's short rants.**

**Disclaimer - Do not own.**

**Notes - Sequel to 'Alchemical Lane'.**

**Summary - Edward get pulled from one universe into the next. Whatever will he find here and what evil force of nature does he have to defeat this time?**

**- Pulled through the Gate - aka - Prologue - **

_White. _

_He was surrounded by white, and light so bright that he had to squint till his golden eyes could see properly. He'd been here before. How many times now? Had he died this time? Was he going to join the Shadow Beings in the Gate? He hoped not. He wanted to go home. Home to Alphonse. That where he wanted to be. _

_Suddenly, a mass of darkness materialized in front of him. He stared at it for long moments till it finally became that 'Thing'. The Thing that stood in his way and of which he had no idea how to pound out of his way. Suddenly, someone else appeared before him. The boy was tall (well, everyone was taller than Edward). He wore dirtied clothes and he held a cube in his hands. _

"_Where are we?" the boy asked. _

"_No where, really," Edward shrugged. He couldn't explain it. _

_The gate opened, the stranger turned and gasped in horror. Edward knew the feeling. It was scary, this Gate. _

"_What does it want?" the boy asked. _

"_I don't know," Edward shrugged again. All empathy, feeling even, had gone straight out of him. The boy looked slightly scared, but wasn't going to show it. Edward could see the signs though. As the Shadow Beings looked out at them - the cube-like thing in the boy's arms began to glow red. _

_The reaction, it was strange, almost as if that thing was from another world. The Shadow Beings liked it, wanted it. Edward surged forward and clamped his metal arm onto the boy's shoulder, pulling him away from the gate. _

"_Equivalent Exchange!" Edward yelled. The boy suddenly went limp and the cube fell away. The shadows became greater, darker, scarier. _

_Edward Screamed. _

_TBC_


	2. Close but no Automail aka Chapter 1

**Science Only Deals in Absolutes**

**Fandom - Fullmetal Alchemist/Transformer's. **

**Note - This takes place post Transformer's 1 and Post Conqueror of Shamballa. **

**Summary - Edward gets pulled through the gate again, this time he lands in another universe with Evils not as scary as Voldemort. **

**Note - Sequel to 'Alchemical Lane'. **

**Close but no Automail - aka - Chapter 1**

There was a strange noise that filled his ears. For a moment he didn't know what had happened to him, where he was or what he had been doing before now. His memory was complete and utter mush. He didn't bother about that now. That noise, again, what was it? Opening one portal. He found himself surrounded by gray. Groaning - Oh, had that been him making that noise? - He opened the other eye.

Peering at the grey ceiling for a moment, he waited till he felt as if he wouldn't suffer from any dizzy spells and turned his head. Next to him was another bed, with that boy from his dream - No, he corrected himself - it hadn't been a dream. This boy looked to have been through a war. Scratched up, but not bloody and the smell of soap lingered in the air.

He wasn't home. He knew it. The Gate had played him a new move and here he was, with that same goal that kept him alive. He couldn't die without seeing Alphonse first. Tuning his head once more, Edward looked out of a huge doorway. Both of its doors were hundreds of feet tall, at least to him. They were on an upper floor, apparently, open to the winds. He felt better for it and experimentally he climbed out of bed. Walking to the railing he peered downwards.

Machines with human-like limbs milled about below. Talking ins beeps and squeaks he didn't understand. That was when Edward realized that his Automail arm had been detached. How had he slept through that pain? He wondered. Then he gritted his teeth. These being's obviously didn't know much about Automail, nor how it worked and how painful it was. The port was swathed in bandages and he was glad that they hadn't taken his leg.

Looking around suspiciously, Edward noticed several humans grouped about a table. Edward had practically grown up in the Army, he had passed his birthday a few days before his State Alchemist Test. Thirteen years old and all ready the weight on the world was upon his shoulders.

Growling, he stalked over and pushed his way past the men. Not caring that they yelped when he stepped on toes with his Automail leg; "It's rather rude to detach something that's a pain to reattach!" Edward's clipped tones and the rather dangerous look made some of the soldiers, for Edward knew a soldier when he saw one - glare back at him. He took up his Automail arm and inspected it. Nothing looked to be missing. Good. He popped it back in and pulled the lever to reattach the nerve endings. He clamped down on the scream of pain that would have escaped him. He lent against the table for a few seconds; then straightened.

"It's called Automail, as you see, I had a slight malfunction," he grinned.

"What's your name, Shorty?" one of the men asked.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MOUSY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK!!!!????" Edward yelled. The man backed up a little at Edward's rant.

"Whoa, whoa, sorry. I am Captain William Lennox, commanding officer here, well, besides Optimus Prime," Will pointed over to the tallest of the human-like robotic form. Edward gazed over.

"Huh, that's very interesting…" he muttered.

"What is your name?" Optimus asked. Edward was suddenly reminded of Al, and their years traveling their home country in search of the Philosopher's Stone.

"My name is Edward Elric," he grinned.

"Where did you come from?" this voice was that of another human-robot. Grey all over and Edward guessed Optimus' second in command.

"That depends, how crazy will you think I am if I tell you?" Edward grinned sheepishly, his bio arm went up and behind his head. The Automail hand rested on his hip.

"This is Jazz, my Second," Optimus' blue 'eyes' gave Edward a gaze that Edward knew well. It was as if Al was looking at him, suddenly, wondering if he was doing the right thing, "You brought Sam back to us," Optimus supplied.

He sighed, it wasn't Al; "Okay, I've been thrown from on universe into the next, I used to live in Amestris, I was an Alchemist, then I got thrown into this other place where a huge Second War was being fought and then I got sent to this other place where Magic was real and Equivalent Exchange didn't matter, huh…I wonder…." Edward looked around. Did his Alchemy work here? Was there anything he could fix?

"What is Alchemy?" William asked.

"Alchemy; The science of understanding the structure of matter, breaking it down, then reconstructing it as something else. It can even make gold from lead. But Alchemy is a science so it must follow natural laws: To create something of equal value must be lost. This is the Principle of Equivalent Exchange. But on that night, I learn that some things cannot be measured on a simple scale. My brother and I knew the laws of science, of Equivalent Exchange, that something had to be taken from us, but, we thought that there was nothing more we could lose, we were wrong…*" Edward explained, looking down at his arm.

"I don't know where I am," he looked up at the robots, at Lennox, "But, I am going to rejoin my brother, no matter what it takes," his metal hand made a fist.

"Now, I have questions, what are you?" he pointed to Optimus.

"We're Cybertronion's from the planet Cybertron. Our home planet was destroyed and we spent several thousands of years searching for a new place to call home and defeat our enemies who would do anything to destroy us," Jazz explained.

"Ah," Edward grinned, "War is bloody, I hope you know what you can lose,"

"We know," Optimus nodded. Edward gave him a thumbs up.

"Now, where am I?" Edward asked.

"America, the year is 2009," Lennox said.

"Wow, the last time….it was World War Two…ah….have anyone heard of Hohenheim Elric?"

Heads shook around him, Edward sighed; "Good, that bastard…"

"Who's a bastard?" the question made them all jump and turn to the next teenager. The boy looked tired, but better from his sleep.

"No one important," Edward replied.

"I'm Sam, by the way,"

"Edward,"

"Sam! Are you all right?" Bumblebee asked from the railing. Sam grinned at his best friend.

"Yeah,"

"Where'd you go?" Bumblebee asked.

"I don't know, this place that was all made of white light and there was this gate with….things…" Sam turned to Edward.

"I think you were there and you saved me," Sam said.

"Saved you? Funny, I don't dream," Edward scratched the back of his neck.

"Maybe you were hallucinating or something," he shrugged finally. Sam sighed, then nodded his head.

"Yeah, probably," he agreed, though reluctantly. The sudden cry of "Samuel James Witwicky!" interrupted them. Two people came running up the stairs, one a woman in a suite of bright pink and the next a man in a polo shirt and jeans. Edward watched as they passed him by to hug Sam. Edward smirked, Parents.

"Sam. We were so worried about you!" the woman cried.

"I'm fine, I promise," Sam said softly as he hugged his mother.

"I hope you know how dangerous that was!" the boy's father said, not angrily, but the tone reminded Edward a lot of his own father. The man who had left him and Al to watch their mother die. Even though he had spent time with the man the first time the gate had thrown him into an alternate universe - Hohenheim had helped him. But, Edward felt that it was out of a feeling of guilt. He knew that one day he would have to forgive Hohenheim for the hurt he put him and Al through - but, it wouldn't be today.

"Who is this?" the woman asked, "I'm Judy Witwicky and this is my husband Ron," she flapped a hand at the semi-wide man.

"Edward Elric," he grinned at her. She looked so much like his own mother, how could he not like her right off the bat.

"Sam, its not nice to drag one of your school friends into this mess," Ron glared at his son.

"Oh no, he didn't drag me into anything, I kinda got put into the middle of it," Edward chuckled as if the whole thing was a joke.

"Oh, dear are you a cripple?" Judy asked.

"My brother and I made a mistake, this was the price we had to pay. A friend of ours is good at artificial limbs, she's the best!" Edward gave a sigh of longing. He wanted to see Winry and Al again.

"I'm going home, as soon as I can," he finished as an afterthought.

"Well, we're here to take Sam home, he has school in a week….why don't you come along," Judy said. Edward blinked up at her.

"Are you serious? We don't know where he came from…" Lennox started.

"Amestris! And you don't know HOW I got here. It was Alchemy, but I didn't have enough to sacrifice to get home," Edward growled. Lennox held up his hands.

"Don't get mad there, Shorty,"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO TINY HE COULD ONLY BE SEEN WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, YOU JERK!?" Edward seethed. Judy laughed.

"Wow, you'd be a great alarm! Come on, Sam, Ed, we're going home," and with that the woman herded the two boys down the stairs and to the waiting car.

"Go with them, Bumblebee," Optimus said. The yellow bot gave a salute and swiftly transformed into his alternate mode to follow the Witwicky family and their new son.

* * *

Edward sat in the back with Sam. Ron and Judy kept up a string of conversation that kept Edward from brooding. They told him of the school, of Sam and his bedwetting troubles as a child - of which Sam objected to firmly - and where they'd put Ed.

"Our house has enough room, so don't worry about it," Ron said.

"And don't worry, you won't have to share with Sam, he's an only child, so I'm a bit more worried about him than you, since you mentioned your brother," Judy grinned.

"Alphonse, he's my younger brother, we studied Alchemy together," Edward supplied. He glance out the window to see the quiet street they drove down. Finally they stopped in front of a house with a nice yard, fine white and green paint and a wrap around porch. Sam jumped out of the car and rushed in.

"Don't worry about Sam, like I said, he's an only child," Judy rolled her eyes.

"I've been away from Al for so long….I never want to be separated form him once I have found him again," Edward replied, he gave her a reassuring smile.

"It'll be fine, I promise, Sam will get over it,"

Judy nodded and then she put her arm around Edward's shoulder and led him inside, intent on cleaning out a room for him and showing him around.

Edward went with her willingly, his mother hadn't been so spastic, but he liked Judy anyway.

* * *

_The crowd roared as the combatants entered the field. He could see the man that pissed him off so, Roy Mustang. The bastard! Edward knew he just had to win this fight. He said he would and how hard could it be? He didn't need arrays to do Alchemy! Sure, he kept chalk, just in case - but that didn't mean that he needed it. _

"_Brother," Al said from behind, "What are you going to do?" _

"_I told you Al! I'm gonna put a FIST IN HIS FACE!"_

"_Isn't this going a bit too far?" the younger brother, though taller than the older, asked. _

"_No way, this asshole needs to be taken down a couple of notches," Edward grinned dangerously. _

"_But….Edward….isn't he a bit taller than you? Won't he have a better advantage…?"_

"_ARE YOU CALLING ME SHORT YOU TIN CAN!?"_

"_Ed! That wasn't very nice!"_

"_Don't call your older brother SHORT!"_

"_Fine! I didn't mean it that way, you're so mean!"_

"_Sorry, Al," Edward subsided. _

"_Get him, Big Brother," Al replied, by way of accepting the apology Edward would only give to him. _

He woke slowly. The ceiling above him was white this time. The soft breeze of mid spring ruffled his damp blond hair and he had to sit up. Stumbling out of bed, Edward found the window and leaned out.

"Al….I'll find you….again….I promise…." he whispered into the night.

* * *

* A direct quote from the second episode of FMA when Edward is talking to Rose. Or, at least I think so. He either starts with this one or he starts with naming the components of a human body. The short rants, except for the one which is part dream part memory, came from the anime because I have the hardest time with short rants. Ed's "are you calling me short you tin can!" is mine.

A/N - Well, I think I got characterization wrong. So I hate this chapter. Tell me what you think. Yeah, okay so the other one isn't finished, but I don't care. I wanted to put this up and see where we go from here. We'll have fun. I promise.


	3. Transmutation Circles aka Chapter 2

**Science Only Deals in Absolutes**

**Chapter 2 - Transmutation Circles **

Edward would always remember those short years that he and Al spent with their mother. The school year started in late September and would end till part way through May, of course you had the Fall Solstice to look forwards too. Carving Pumpkins, getting candy from neighbors, a party at the Rockbell's home. Dunking for Apples and dressing up as ghouls or the Mysterious Witches and Wizards that first practiced Alchemy.

Winter Solstice was even better, snow littered the ground and he and Al would have a snow ball fight; which he let Al win every time though he denied it, of course. They would decorate a tree taken from the forest with glowing candles, strings of popcorn, and apples hung on the branches by bright ribbons of red, purple and gold. They would each get one present from one another; one to open before bed, which was always new pj's that Mom had some how made - and then two more in the morning before a huge breakfast of cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon and hot chocolate.

Edward never remembered his Father in these settings. He couldn't decide if maybe he had forgotten simply because memories fade, like photographs get yellowed, or if his father, simply, was never there in the first place.

Needless to say, When he and Sam got up on the start of the school week before Christmas break, which Edward consistently called Winter Solstice - to a cloudy gray sky that hinted at snow, or so Edward's Automail ports told him - Edward knew that he had spent more time here than he had thought. Three weeks being with this family and Sam was becoming less grumpy, Bumblebee seemed to be okay with him, and the other Autobots were less wary but still on their guard.

Not that he cared. He had been with the Military of Amestris for a very long time and if he knew one thing about one Military, than he knew it about all of them - always be on guard. It didn't help, he figured, that he had just come out of no where with a huge alchemic blast (not that they knew what that blast was and he wasn't going to tell them a damned thing).

He and Sam waved good-by to Judy and Ron as they walked across the driveway to the street where Bee sat waiting. The trunk was popped and the teens put their bags in the back before getting into the car. Edward sat on the passenger seat, he never was one to drive, too many distractions. Sam almost never did, Bumblebee liked to do it. He was a careful driver, the sentient-car, never would he move unless the teens were buckled, he would go the speed limit and stop exactly when he needed too.

"Are you excited about Christmas?" Sam asked. He and Edward, though getting used to each other, were wholly different people. Not at all like brother's, but more like people forced to spend time together.

Edward was a book hog, a fact bank to be exact. He could remember so many things it was uncanny. Sam on the other hand liked girls, cars, music and not doing his homework. It was a sad day in the Witwicky house when Edward brought home perfect scores and Sam was failing almost every class. Not that Sam wasn't a smart boy, he was, but Edward just seemed better at the whole school thing.

"Kind of, it's kinda like what we do back home, but without electric lights," Edward replied, for a while now, the Witwhicky's had their home decorated for Christmas, Edward was very impressed to see that instead of the use of flame, the electric lights gave the same glow and feeling to the tree without having to worry about the branches catching fire. He would love to find a way to make that when he got home and with the use of alchemy, light bulbs and some wire, he was sure he could do it. He'd just have to find an array and adjust, slightly.

The drive to school wasn't very long and before the boys knew it, Bumblebee had parked, the trunk was open and they were both heading to their classes. At first, the Principal had been rather worried that Edward wouldn't fit into school, and he was right. Edward had been sent to the office several times for fighting, which were all started by other students and of which Edward only finished. He wasn't the sort of boy that went around making trouble. Not really. Edward was a shy, kid who yelled at others about making fun of his height. He didn't like bullies and he'd nail them to the wall. He didn't like guys forcing themselves on girls either, which sent said boys to the hospital.

Sam was a ladies man though only one girl ever really gave him the time of day, but that didn't matter. Much. Sam and Edward would sit together at lunch, and some times Edward would explain things to Sam.

On such conversation went -

"How old are you anyway?" Sam asked.

"Seventeen, you?" Edward replied, giving a raised eyebrow to Sam in warning.

"The same," Sam replied, surprised.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I don't know, I just figured you'd be younger," Sam muttered.

"WHAT YOU THINK THAT I HAVE TO BE A SUPER GENIUS TO GET INTO HIGHSCHOOL WHEN A TWO YEAR OLD CAN PASS THE BLOODY TEST!?"

Needless to say, insinuating Edward to be younger than he is will mean just as much earache as insinuating him to be short.

- - -

Mr. Damon was writing something on the board; science class was nothing like Alchemy, in fact, Alchemy was considered magic in this world and if not magical it was thought of to be an archaic science. Basically, Alchemy was what brought on science, birthed it, or so Mr. Damon explained. Edward didn't believe it.

He took this chance to surreptitiously bring out a think not book. It wasn't a real note book, it was an alchemy book full of array's he had never seen before. He had found it at a garage sail an old lady was putting on, it cost him five dollars but he didn't care. These were array's he had seen before, but never got the chance to study. He had seen where he had gone wrong with the array he had been using to get from one universe to another.

It was meant to do that.

That made sense.

"Mr. Elric! Are you with us?"

Edward looked up, "Yeah,"

"Well, name the things that make up the human body," Mr. Damon was glaring. Edward blinked for a moment, drew a blank from the science text they were using, then he shrugged and opened his mouth.

"Water: 35 Liters. Carbon: 20 Kg. Ammonia: 4 Liters. Lime: 1.5 Kg. Phosphorus: 800 g. Salt: 250 g. Saltpeter: 100 g. Sulfur: 80 g. Fluorine: 7.5 g. Iron: 5g. Silicon: 3 g. And 15 other elements in small quantities*," Edward rattled off serenely.

The class was absolutely quiet and even the science teacher looked amazed; "Very good, Mr. Elric, for that I won't give you a pink slip for not paying attention. Don't let me find you doing it again," he grumbled. Edward gave a sheepish grin and a salute.

Poked from behind he turned to get an annoyed glance from Sam, he shrugged again. He couldn't help what he was interested in. The class bell rang and Edward gathered up everything he had with him. He slipped on his red coat and walked towards the door with the other students. As soon as he was outside, he was grabbed on the back of the neck.

"Look at this, guys, I found a runt! What a specimen!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO SMALL THAT HE COULDN'T BE SEEN BY A TELESCOPE!!!!" Edward raged. The hand on his neck disappeared as his opponent laughed. The boy was Trent's young brother, Brent. The brother's seemed to like to pick on Sam and Edward a lot, but Edward would punch first and ask questions later. He didn't care for either of them. While Trent was as dumb as an ox, Edward actually had a hell of a time with Brent because the younger brother was the smart one.

"Look it here Elric, I'm the star of the science class and I won't let you take my place. So, if you know what's good for ya, you'd best back off and keep your head down, otherwise I may just have to pound it down," Brent was smirking. It was the sort of smirk Roy Mustang gave Edward when he knew he had one upped Edward once again. It pissed him off.

"Look it here you dolt. I don't give a damn what you think or want, I don't care," Edward turned. The hallway was less crowded now. At least some people were around.

"Don't walk away from me Elric, I'm better than you!"

"Don't talk to me about who's better!" Edward brandished an Automail fist at the boy, disguised by his glove; "I know more about the world and life than you, I've made mistakes and all you've ever had to do is worry about your grades. Al and I never had a chance, so shut up before I put my fist in her face!"

Brent stepped back from the sheer surprise this brought on. He hadn't known that Elric had a brother.

Edward turned, ignoring Brent and his science goons. He spied Sam coming up to him and he stopped for the other. They walked down the hallway together.

"So, where's your brother?" Sam asked.

"Back home, in Amestris," Edward replied.

"I hope you get back, then, to be with him," Sam smiled lightly, this gave Edward a sweep of courage and the rock solidness he was known for. No longer scared of the question of 'IF' he'd get home, it was all a matter of 'when'.

- - -

Christmas was a week away and school was out. However, that did not stop The Secretary of Defense - Mr. Hal Charles - to stop by. He pulled up in a black car with no markings on it whatsoever.

Judy answered the door and with a worried look on her face she brought him to the kitchen; then she shooed Sam and Ron from the room, told Edward to stay and followed her family. They had been munching on cookies with hot chocolate and speaking as a family. It was something that Edward never had and he had been wishing for Alphonse to be with him. The younger boy always yearned for such things.

"Mr. Secretary, I hadn't thought that I'd meet you," Edward said, they shook hands.

"Me neither but something has come up and it seems that you are the person with the most knowledge," Hal replied. He sat down and munch on a cookie himself. Edward waited.

"At midnight our satellites picked up something very odd, we haven't seen it before, but, maybe you have," Hal brought out several photographs he slid them across the table so that Edward could see them.

In the photographs Edward was able to see a desert with a rather huge transmutation circle glowing red. He recognize it. Golden eyes growing wide and the hitch in breathe told Hal that the boy indeed knew something.

Edward covered his reaction too late, but tried to play dumb anyway; "Can I keep these, I need to do some initial research before I can tell you anything, from the basic structure I don't think its anything that'll kill people, but I wouldn't take the chance," Edward said as nonchalantly as he could. Hal nodded.

"Of course you can keep those, those are copies anyway and I can always get more," he finished his cookie and stood.

"Have a merry Christmas," Hal said, then he left the kitchen. Judy, Sam and Ron waited till they heard the front door swing shut before they entered their kitchen again. Edward swept up the photos and gave them a smile.

"What was that about?" Judy asked.

"They're just being paranoid, its nothing to worry about," Edward waved a hand as if it didn't matter. He then finished off his hot chocolate, grabbed a few more cookies and made the excuse of homework in order to go to his bedroom.

It was less stark than it had been when he first arrive. The walls were covered in transmutation circles, studies he was still working on. He added these pictures, and stepped back.

"I can't believe it," he muttered, running a hand through blond hair, "Someone is trying to make a Philosopher's Stone…."

---

TBC

---

A/N - HAHAHAHAH! Plot twist! And so soon. I am in love.

* - this is a line from the manga when Edward is explaining to Rose what he and Al did and why Religion doesn't help people. I don't know if this is scientifically correct, but I didn't want to try and find it out for myself because science isn't my thing. So, if it isn't accurate, lets just pretend it is. *lol*


End file.
